Full-count pitch to Dan Uggla the difference of five runs for Florida Marlins

Lost in the Friday’s offensive barrage was the pitch that opened the flood gates.

Rays starter James Shields looked as though he would escape the third inning, keeping the score at 1-0, after striking out Hanley Ramirez and getting Jorge Cantu to pop out to short right field with no outs and the bases loaded.
Dan Uggla then worked a full count before Shields’ threw a fastball that umpire Jim Joyce – the most infamous ump in the game today – ruled low for ball four. Shields called it a “borderline pitch.”

Uggla and Cody Ross, who was on deck, disagreed.

“Not very close,” Uggla said.

“That was clearly a ball to me,” Ross chimed in.

The walk forced in a run and after a Cody Ross two-run single and Mike Stanton two run triple, the Marlins had a 6-0 lead. The one pitch meant five runs, the difference in a 14-9 game.

Don Zimmer reflects on 2003 World Series

I sat down for about 20 minutes with baseball legend, and Rays advisor, Don Zimmer on Thursday. One of the subjects we discussed was the 2003 World Series when Zimmer was Joe Torre’s bench coach for the Yankees.

I asked Zim for his most vivid memory of the series in which the Marlins won in six games.

“The game (Roger) Clemens pitched,” he said. “They beat Clemens but the thing that I remember was Roger Clemens waving to the Marlins. Thanking them.”

That would be Game 4 in which Clemens gave up three runs on eight hits – one being a home run to rookie Miguel Cabrera – in seven innings. Clemens was not the losing pitcher, but the Marlins won on Alex Gonzalez’s walk-off home run in the 12th inning to even the series.

The game was billed as possibly the final start of what was then expected to be a Hall of Fame career for Clemens. The fans and Marlins acknowledged Clemens with Clemens tipping his hat in thanks.

Now, as we all know, that career has been tarnished by steroid accusations and Clemens’ Hall of Fame induction now is questionable.